On Genealogy: My Quaker Connection; Descendant of John Milk, British Colonial America, 1662.
Today’s blog on genealogy #5 is on the lineage of the Milk family. This surname has long been associated with the county of Norfolk, England, where it appears about twenty-two times in proportion to each 10,000 of the population of that county. There, throughout history, it has been associated with small landowners.
This is was interesting line to research and write about as I never imagined having anyone in my lineage trace back to Colonial America, never mind some who resided in Salem, Massachusetts during the Witch Trials.
The surname MILK first appeared on record in America in 1662 with the mention of John Milk of Salem, Massachusetts in the town vital records where he was appointed as Cowherd for the town of Salem and then was chosen to chimney sweep. 
In Colonial America in 1662, The Massachusetts Bay Colony’s charter was accepted by England as long as they extended the vote to all landowners and allowed for freedom of worship for Anglicans.
The home of John Milk was listed in “(Rambles in Old Boston, by Rev, Edward G. Porter, 1887, p.288.) It was built some fifty years earlier than the Paul Revere home some 300 feet away across a little Square from the corner of Sun Court and Moon Street, just south of the Old North Church and North of Faneuil Hall “the Cradle of Liberty” near Milk Street.
IMMIGRANT Family
John Milk I (B: 1640 Norfolk, England, D: Nov 26 1689 – Salem, Massachusetts) m. Sarah Weston (Wesson) (B: 1656 – Salem, Massachusetts, D: 1685 – Salem, Massachusetts) on m. 3 APR 1665
John Milk I died on Nov 26 1689. The following is his Last Will & Testament:
FIRST Generation
John Milk II: (B: Jan 8 1668 – Salem, Massachusetts, D: 1720 Boston, Massachusetts), shipwright, married:
(1) Elizabeth Hempfield (1670 – 1707), daughter of Edmund Hempfield of Salem, on 20 Aug. 1689.
Children of first marriage
- John Milk, b. abt. 1690, died young
- Job Milk
(2) Mary Scolly (Scolby) at Boston, 30 Oct. 1707, who subsequently married Francis Hudson abt ****
Children of second marriage:
- John Milk III, b. 23 June 1708/09, m. Jane Marvin (Marvel)
- James Milk, b. 31 Jan. 1710/11, m. (1)Sarah Brown ; (2) Mrs. Mollie Peering
- Mary Jane Milk, b. abt. 1713
My lineage follows the marriage to Elizabeth Hempfield (B: Jan 8 1668 – Salem, Massachusetts, D: 1707 – Salem, Massachusetts).
The below excerpt talks about their homestead and surrounding buildings.
SECOND Generation
Job Milk I (B: 1695 – Salem, Massachusetts, D: 1778 in Little Compton, Newport County, Province of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) m. Abigail Devol (B: 1695 – Newport, Rhode Island, D: 12 Jul 1719 – Dartmouth, Massachusetts) on July 12 1719 in Little Compton, RI. Abigail was the daughter of Johnathan + Hannah (née Audley).
Note: The association and acceptance by the Quakers of the time, imply that Job Milk and his family were probably Quakers. Although there are no known records of this, it is recorded that Phineas Chase, who lived close to Job Milk, and was father to two of Job’s sons-in-law was a Quaker.
Footnote: Some information has been borrowed in part from: History And Genealogy Of The Milk-Milks Family – October 15, 2011 by
THIRD Generation
Job Milk II (B: April 17 1725 – Dartmouth, Massachusetts, D: 1804 – Dartmouth, Massachusetts) m. Amy Fish (B: Oct 29 1729 – Dartmouth, Massachusetts, D: Belkshire, Massachusetts). He married Amy Fish 2 Nov 1746 at Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island. Amy Fish was born at Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts 29 Oct 1729 daughter of Thomas Fish and Mercy Mary Coggeshall .
They were the parents of 9 children:
Benjamin Milk born 1747.
Sarah Milk born 1749.
Job Milk born 1751.
Mary Milk born 1752.
Jonathan Milk born 1755.
David Milk born 1757.
Cabel Milk born 1759.
Thomas Ambrose Milk born 1761.
Amy Milk born 1763.
FOURTH Generation
Sarah Milk (B: 1749 – D: Eardley,) m. Dudley Moore (B: 1747 – Nine Partners, Duchess, New York, D: 1815: Eardley, (Hull) Québec). They married at Saratoga, New York .
Dudley Moore’s parents were Jedediah Moore and Dorothy Begnell (I’ll get more into the “Bicknell” story in another blog).
They were the parents of 9 children:
Sarah Moore born Abt 1769.
Jedediah Moore born Abt 1771.
Dudley Moore born 8 Aug 1773.
Roger Moore born Abt 1774.
Benjamin Moore born Abt 1776.
Martin Moore born Abt 1779.
Job Moore born Abt 1781.
David Moore born Abt 1783.
Rebecca Moore born Abt 1785.
FIFTH Generation
Roger Moore (B: 1775 – Rutland, Vermont, D: 1860 – Napean, Ontario) m. Sarah Hicks (B: 1775 – New York, D: Nov 27 1872 – Québec)
SIXTH Generation
Olive Moore (B: Sept 10 1821 – Napean, Ontario, D: 1871 – Eardley, Québec) m. Ambrose Richards (B: Feb 27 1816 – Quebec, D: Jan 9 1864 – Eardley, Québec)
SEVENTH Generation
George Richards (B: July 26 1859 – Eardley Quebec, D: April 16 1942 – Mattawa Ontario) m. Cecelia McKenzie (B: Dec 9 1851 – Renfrew Ontario, D: Sept 13 1921 – Mattawa Ontario)
EIGHTH Generation
Ambrose Richards (B: Dec 12 1887 – Mattawa Ontario, D: 1957 – Mattawa Ontario) m. Bridget Angelina Mullen (B: Jan 3 1887 – Vinton, Québec, D: April 10 1976 – Témiscaming, Québec)
NINTH Generation
Benjamin Richards (B: Feb 10 1916 – Sturgeon Falls Ontario, D: June 17 1977 – Montréal, Québec) m. Sarah Ann Lee (B: Dec 7 1922 – Meltham Mills, Yorkshire England, D: March 1993 – Montréal, Quebec)
TENTH Generation
Patrick James Richards (B: Jan 15 1954 – Témiscaming Québec, D: Nov 18 2014 – Témiscaming, Québec) m. Mona Lamothe (B: Jan 20 1956 – Bonfield, Ontario, D: —-)
ELEVENTH Generation
MOI – Tina Rose Richards
I found this helpful when trying to better understand the difference between the Quakers, the Pilgrims and the Puritans.
Pilgrims: A small group of people arrived in the New World from England on a ship named the Mayflower. They landed at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. Back in England, everyone had to belong to the Church of England. The Pilgrims did not want to belong to the Church of England. They were seeking religious freedom from the Church of England.
Puritans: About 10 years later, a large group of people called the Puritans arrived in the New World, also from England. They believed everyone should belong to the Church of England or be punished. They left England and came to the New World because they believed the Church of England needed to be purified. In their opinion, the Church was embracing too many Catholic beliefs. They settled in Boston. They practiced religious intolerance. They wanted to be part of the Church of England, but they wanted the church’s beliefs purified.
Alike: Both groups spoke English. Both groups arrived from England at about the same time. Both groups thought of themselves as Englishmen and were loyal to the King. Both groups came to the New World because of their disagreement with the Church of England.
Quakers: There was another religious group in the colonies called the Quakers. They also disagreed with the Church of England. Many Quakers left England for the New World. They settled in Pennsylvania in the 1600s. There, they practiced religious freedom for everyone. People were free to believe what they wanted and talk to God in their own way. People from all over Europe poured into their communities, seeking religious freedom. The Quakers believed that violence was not the way to solve problems. The Quakers were known as “The Friends”.
Namaste
T xo
Featured Image Photo Cred: Map of Salem Village in 1692 physical features, and the dwellings of prominent and important residents in Salem during 1692.
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ThanX so much for sharing….I’m a direct descendant of Sarah Weston 1656-1685 of Reading MA who has been documented by many ancestry sites as the wife of John Milk , however, Sarah would of only been 9 years old at the date of marriage utilized in their records and passed away prior to John executing his will in 1688. You haven’t addressed the ancestry of Sarah Weston in your blog…possibly if you have any info either way would be appreciated.
Warm regards, Jack
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I am a direct descendent of John Milk. My grandmother was Melina Milks daughter of Peter Milks and Catherine Dacey of Cantley Quebec. Peter was the son of John Milks and Mary anne McAlinden. John was the son of Freeborn Garretson Milks born in Pittstown NY 1797 in the Hudson valley married to Sarah Moore daughter of Dudley Moore and Sarah Moulton UEL
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Isn’t this line fascinatingly full of history?
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